Giveaways

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is RM! Congratulations, RM! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

G’morning, friend. I just wanted to say hi, tell you that I love you very much, and wish you a wonderful day. 🙂

It’s still early here (just before 7), but it looks like it’s going to be a nice day. In a little while El Hub and I are driving down to the city to meet my brother and his girlfriend for birthday brunch (today is officially, officially my bday), which I’m hoping involves banana pancakes, mimosas and gut-busting laughter.

Yup, my brother — he’s six years younger than me — is one of only a few people in my life capable of making me simultaneously angry and happy.

LOL! I think that’s something they teach in sibling school…

“Okay, now if you push this button here, your sister will laugh. But this button will make her furious. And if you push both buttons at the same time… Well, we don’t recommend doing that.”

I hope today is the start of a great weekend.

Before you go, do you have time to leave a quick comment at the bottom of this post? If you do, you’ll be entered to win this weekend’s giveaway for a $50 Sephora eGift card.

What folks are saying…

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! 🙂 Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, do you have any siblings? How do you like to celebrate your birthday? Do you like ice cream cake? What’s your favorite flavor of birthday cake? Are you reading any books right now (for fun or otherwise)? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/JTFoPh

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is RM! Congratulations, RM! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Halifax! Congratulations, Halifax! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Morning! 🙂 Please, come in. How sweet of you to stop by on my last official Saturday as a 36-year-old.

Got a pre-birthday celebration lined up with my friends Jen and Cindy today. Hard to believe they were also at my 16th birthday party…which was 20 years ago!

We’re spending the day in San Francisco together, first with drinks at the W Hotel, and then with some pampering at the Bliss Spa (located in the W).

I CANNOT WAIT! I could really use a massage. My back has more knots in it than a bad macramé project, I kid you knot. Time to get tenderized like a hunk o’ meat!

After that, it’s over to the Samovar Tea Lounge for tea and noms.

Should be a great day. I don’t get to see Jen and Cindy nearly enough. We’re all so busy now.

Got my iPhone all charged up, and Tabs will be on call here managing the blog.

Have a great day today, and good luck in this weekend’s giveaway. Talk to you soon.

What folks are saying…

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! 🙂 Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, have you ever been to a spa? What’s your favorite type of coffee or tea? Have you ever had a bad spa experience? Who are your closest friends? Best birthday you ever had? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/L94xcc

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Halifax! Congratulations, Halifax! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Katie-Jean! Congratulations, Katie-Jean! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Whenever I play Maroon 5 in my office Tabs runs out of the room (he will hang out for Biggie though, LOL!). I’m telling you this because I can’t get that Payphone song out of my head, and I’ve been listening to it repeatedly, much to Tabs’ chagrin.

El Hub came home singing it the other day, and now it seems like we don’t go 20 minutes before one of us starts, “I’m at a payphone…”

Tabs has not been thrilled. 🙂

I’ve been trying to remember the last time I actually used a payphone, and I think it might’ve been around 1993. Hard to believe there was a time when you couldn’t easily get a hold of people 24 hours a day, isn’t it?

Now, I feel weird whenever I’m without my iPhone. Although, truth be told, I use my phone more to take pics of my cat than I do to speak with people, haha!

I just don’t have the patience to sit and talk on the phone for long periods of time anymore, not that I’m a bigger fan of texting, especially when it comes to sharing important news or well-wishes, like “Happy birthday!” or “Merry Christmas!” For things like that, I think you still gotta pick up the phone.

A single gal pal of mine tells me that texting is the big thing now in dating. She says that when boys ask her out, they always do it via text.

I don’t know if I could handle that if I were single. I mean, what if you met a really cute, great guy who texted terribly? I’m not down for dudes who send texts like, “C U 2NITE!” Please, I beg you, take the extra 5 seconds to spell out your words. Please.

Then again, I broke up with a guy once because he used ellipses at the end of every sentence in his emails… (I know I use them a lot, too…and I purposefully leave off that fourth dot at the end of sentences.)

I’ll say this about El Hub: the boy gives GREAT email.

I’ve been out of the dating game for a while, so I’m curious — what’s it like nowadays? For the single gals (and guys), do you think it’s easier or tougher to find a decent date? Does technology help or hinder dating?

Before you go, don’t forget to enter today’s Sephora eCard giveaway. I’m gonna go grab a second cup of coffee now. Be right back.

What folks are saying…

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it. Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! 🙂 Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, what was the worst date you’ve ever been on? And the best date? What are your dating deal-breakers (I just watched that episode of 30 Rock)? What’s your favorite date night look? Have you ever asked someone out on a date? What’s your current relationship status? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/LmXcpX

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Katie-Jean! Congratulations, Katie-Jean! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Alyse! Congratulations, Alyse! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂

Yesterday, I was digging through some old CDs at home when I came across an oldie but a goodie. Remember Version 2.0 by Garbage?

I remember buying it on a whim one day right after it came out. It must have been around 1998. I was in my last quarter in college, and I’d listen to it every day while I did my homework.

Brings back memories… That was a very exciting time filled with promise, but also some nervous uncertainty. I was almost finished with school and itching to move back to the Bay Area from Davis, but I was getting ready to leave something familiar (school) to enter the next phase of my life — or what my parents referred to as “the real world.”

The last time I listened to this CD was probably 10 years ago, and man! — it’s still great. Yesterday when Temptation Waits and Push It kicked in, I couldn’t believe I still remembered all of the words.

Did anyone else secretly want to be Shirley Manson? She seems like such an @ss kicker. An @ss kicker in red lipstick and smokey eyes!

Speaking of makeup, it’s Saturday! Which means it’s time for you know what.

What folks are saying…

“Thanks so much, Karen. Just in case you were wondering what I got with it, I decided to go with the Clarisonic Mia–I’ve been wanting it for years now, but have never purchased it because of the price. Your eCard helped me finally buy it! I look forward to using it 🙂 Thanks again!”
-Jane

“Shut the front door! OMG Karen, you have made my day. 🙂 I’m sick in bed with the flu and this has just cheered me up immensely!!!!!!!! BTW, I’m the one that sent you that pic of my pug in a wig a few weeks back LOL! Thanks again, honestly, I’m beyond giddy right now.”
-Angel

“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much Karen (and Tabs, of course)! I really appreciate this! I’d been eyeing the Anastasia brow pencil in Strawburn to match my red hair!”
-Chelsea (and Jiji the kitten and Quincy the bunny)

“Never before have I been so pleased to check my email right before bed!!! Thank you so, so much! I truly enjoy your blog and check it almost daily! Thanks again! This made my night!”
-Melissa, Edmond, OK

“Hi Karen. Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I won! :O Thank you so much! You, Tabs, and your blog are amazing! Thank you for keeping me updated on all things beauty and more importantly, for keeping me entertained! Keep doing your thing! 🙂 Thank you again.”
-Jacqueline

“Hi Karen. Thank you so much, I’m so excited, I’ve never won anything before. My name is Hana … I just turned 25 (today is my birthday!) Yay! Thank you.”
-Hana

• One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

• There are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them for two chances to win. First, you can enter by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post, a comment about anything at all, like, do you do bold red lips and smokey eyes? Could you see yourself as the lead singer in a rock band? What’s an album that reminds you of school? What’s your favorite red lipstick of all time? Have you ever had red hair? — you get the idea.
• Second, you can enter by following me on Twitter @karenmbb and retweeting (RT) the following message:
  • Follow @karenmbb and RT to Win a $50 eGift Card from Sephora! http://bit.ly/J7s1R9

• The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 11:59PM (PT).
• Entrants must enter using a valid email address and/or Twitter account to win.
• A maximum of two (2) entries per person — one within the comments at the bottom of this post, and a second entry via Twitter addressed to me @karenmbb.
• Contest is open to individuals of any country who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).
• Sephora eGift Certificates can only be redeemed online and are not valid in stores or available for purchase or redemption in Canada. International winners may opt to substitute the Sephora eGift card prize for $50 sent directly to their email address by PayPal instead.
• Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries either left in the comments at the bottom of this blog post or addressed to @karenmbb on Twitter.
• The winner will be announced here within 48 hours of the deadline.
• Void where prohibited by law.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

• WINNER: The giveaway is closed now, and the winner is Alyse! Congratulations, Alyse! If you entered but didn’t win this time around, keep trying, and click here to enter any ongoing giveaways before you jet. 🙂